February 2012

February 24, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to another Friday! Seriously, I can't believe how quickly the weeks are passing. Is it just me or are you feeling this way as well?

I'm excited to show you this week's card that I made for the Stamping 411 Saturday Sketch Challenge! It's called a Pinwheel card and it's a great way to use up little pieces of scrap paper that you have collecting. It looks complicated and time-consuming, but it's really very simple! Just follow the step-by-step tutorial below.

Step One:Begin by punching 8 squares of Designer Series Paper with the 1 1/4" Square Punch. Punch two coordinating patterns (4 of each). Using the 1 3/8" Square Punch, punch 8 square of coordinating Cardstock. Attach each DSP square to a Cardstock Square. (Note: to make this card even quicker, you can eliminate the step of attaching the DSP to the Cardstock squares and just create your Pinwheel using squares of DSP).

Step Two:Cut two pieces of Cardstock 3" square

Step Three:Use the lines and squares on your Stampin' Up! Grid Paper to align the two squares, as shown. Attach with SNAIL adhesive. It should resemble an 8-point star.

Step Four:Begin attaching the assembled squares to your larger squares (star). Attach the corner only of each small square.

Step Five: When you attach the last (8th) square, insert it under the first square, as shown (this is why you only attach the corners of each square). Finish off the center with a small punched shape and a Brad, button or other embellishment.

And that's how you create a Pinwheel card! I told you it was fast and easy! I simply attached mine to a 4 x 5.25" piece of Designer Series Paper and mounted that on a layer of Cardstock and then the Card Base. I added a bow (5 layers) created with the 1/8" Organza ribbon from the Sale-A-Bration promotion and added three tiny square Rhinestone Brads. The sentiment is from the Stamp Set "Thank You Kindly".

I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial on how to create a Pinwheel Card. I know you'll enjoy the other Stamping 411 Operator Projects as well so remember to check them out when you get a few moments.

That will do it for today! Thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you'll be back soon for more Ideas and Inspiration!

February 17, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to my Friday night Stamping 411 post! The 411 Operators have another delightful sketch for you this week.

As you can see, I reversed the sketch, putting my focal point and bow on opposite sides. This is what's so great about working from a sketch. It gives you a place to begin and then you can let your creativity soar, taking it to places never imagines (that almost sounds like a line from Star Trek -- LOL).

Layer One -- Cardstock cut at 5.5 x 8.5", folded and scored to make the Card Base.

Layer Two -- Whisper White cardstock cut at 4 x 5.25" -- Stamp with the Hello, Doily Stamp and emboss with the Big Shot and the Impressions Folder

Layer Three -- Pear Pizzazz cardstock cut at 1.25 x 4"

Layer Four -- Basic Gray Cardstock cut at .5 x 4" -- punch with Border Punch (hint -- use a wider peace to punch the border and then cut it down to .5" -- attach to layer three and add ribbon across.

Layer Five -- Doily Die Cut (trim for the scallop border) -- add a Whisper White circle in the middle cut to the diameter of your choice (to reveal a lot or a little of the Die Cut). Add butterfly embellishments and bow.

February 10, 2012

Hello everyone and Happy Friday evening to you! Our Youth Group is having a Valentine Day Bake Sale at church on Sunday and so I'm up to my elbows in Cake Pops and Cupcakes at the moment. Here's a picture of the Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake Pops -- aren't they amazing? I'm so proud of myself. These little babies taste exactly like real Chocolate Covered Strawberries! If you've never made Cake Balls or Pops before (or eaten them), they are basically baked cake smushed up with frosting, formed into balls and dipped into chocolate! What's not to like about that??? You can click HERE to download and print the recipe!

I digress and I really need to move on to a non-caloric activity! So, let's turn our attention to the new Sketch Challenge at Stamping 411!

This week’s sketch has three small image panels on the right side, giving you lots of opportunity to use punches or die-cut shapes. There’s also a wide-open background so I’m excited to see what you will do to fill in all the spaces!

Here’s what I did with my inspiration card! I used the colors of Pacific Point, Old Olive and Whisper White (a very unusual color combo for me). I stamped the frame from the Elementary Elegance Stamp Set (a Sale-a-Bration freebie) in the middle of the card and then added Curly Label Punch Shapes (and the slightly larger magnetic Curly Label that goes with the Movers & Shapers Die). Everything is embossed with the Big Shot and the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Folder. I created the little tab on the left using the Labels Collection Framelets Dies. Embellishments include a tiny flower shaped button and Basic Pearls. It’s clean and simple!

That’s going to be it for tonight, my friends! Cake Balls and Cupcakes are calling me – LOL! Whatever your plans for this weekend, I hope that find some creative time, whether it’s in the stamp room or the kitchen or somewhere else! If you’ve got a few minutes, be sure to jump on over to the Stamping 411 Blog and check out the other Operator projects! As always, it will be well worth your time!

Thanks so much for stopping by and I do hope you’ll be back soon. I’ll let you know how the Cake Pops go over – I think they’re going to be a BIG seller! I hope so because I really don’t want to bring them all back home, if you know what I mean!

February 03, 2012

Hello everyone! It's Friday night and I hope you're gearing up for a wonderful weekend, maybe one which even includes some creative time! I know my daughter and I are hunkering down for a weekend of crocheting! She's twelve and wants to learn how to crochet so ..... we'll see how this goes! We just went shopping for some really cool yarn. Should be fun, right! If things turn out well, maybe I'll show you some of our projects!

As you know, Friday night is the night that the Stamping 411 Operators reveal the new Saturday Sketch Challenge! I’ve really been wanting to ink up the new Tea Shoppe Stamp set and thought this might be the perfect sketch to do so!

I’ve used Twitterpated Designer Series Paper along with Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Whisper White Cardstocks. I used the Big Shot and the new Adorning Accents Edgelets Dies and Textured Embossing Folder, the Curly Label Magnetic Die with the Modern Label Insert, the Modern Label Punch, 1/2” Seam Binding Ribbon, Basic Pearls and Stampin’ Dimensionals. For added effect, I hand-cut the “steam” trails raising from the cup!

To help you get started with this sketch, here’s my measurements:

-- Layer One – Cherry Cobbler Cardstock cut at 5.5 x 8.5”, scored and folded to make the Card Base.

February 01, 2012

Hello everyone and welcome to Inspiration in Action! If you've seen the new Occasions Mini Catalog, you know there are some fabulous new dies for your Big Shot now available. Two of them are the Adorning Accents Edgelits Dies, available as a set with a Ruffled Scallop Border and an elegant Curved Border. Inspired by a tip that I saw on Deb Valdar's blog, I took her idea a few steps further and created another way to store and use these fabulous new dies that works great for me.

I took a brand new, out of the package, Extended Cutting Pad (this is the large one that is usually used with Bigz XL dies) and adhered both of the edgelet dies to the pad. Before doing that, however, I transferred 1/4" cutting lines to the pad and also marked it with a center line, 4" card lines and 5 1/4" card lines (the most often used card widths). Click on the photo to view it larger.

Before attaching the dies, center your new cutting plate over some Stampin' Up! Grid Paper. I used a couple of swipes of Dotto temporary adhesive to be sure the plate wouldn't move while I was putting my lines on it. Using a SHARP permanent marker and a metal straight edge ruler, trace your lines carefully and slowly onto the cutting plate. Take your time and go slow -- remember the time that you spend doing this will save you TONS of time as you use your new dies. Once you have the 1/4" lines applied, carefully mark the center point going the entire length of the cutting plate. Then you add lines that are 2" and 2 5/8" either side of center. Once your lines are applied, it's a simple and easy step to apply Sticky Strip at the point where you want to position your dies (I left 1" on the outside of each die to add to the versatility of each die). One die goes on each end of the Cutting Pad. Remove the red backing from the Sticky Strip and carefully attach your dies (cutting side up), making sure they are straight and plumb. Next, take your Embossing Buddy and pounce it over the exposed Sticky Strip adhesive to that your cardstock won't stick to it (actually they will still be a little sticky which is a good thing, it helps to keep the cardstock from moving as you are cutting your shapes). Now, give your new invention a try! You can line up two layers of cardstock or DSP and cut them all at once so that they perfectly match up when you create your project. To make it easier to read the grid lines that you've placed on the Cutting Pad, I turned over my Multi-purpose platform to the side that doesn't have the instructions printed on it. The Big Shot sandwich used in the photo above, from bottom to top, includes: The Multi-purpose platform, your adapted Cutting Plate with the Edgelets attached, two sheets of cardstock and the top Cutting plate.

This is the card that I made with the two layers of cardstock positioned on the Cutting Pad above. Once I cut them with the Edgelet die, I trimmed the sides of the Very Vanilla layer 1/8" on each side. I embossed the edge of the Poppy Parade layer using the coordinating Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and adhered the two layers together -- PERFECTION!

Here's another card that I made using the Ruffled Scalloped Edgelet. The process was exactly the same, cutting both the Baja Breeze Cardstock and the Twitterpated Designer Series Paper at the same time then embossing the Scalloped edge with the Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

I hope this gives you an idea of an easier way for you to use your new Stampin' Up! Adorning Accents Edglet Dies! I know it's working well for me and cutting down on the frustration of dies and paper slipping and moving as they pass through the amazing Big Shot.

If you don't already have the dies, or the Big Shot, or the Textured Impressions Embossing Folders, or any of the supplies that I've used today, I would love to assist you in getting these for yourself. Remember, it's Sale-a-Bration time which means that for every $50 in product that you purchase, you get some amazing FREE goodies! Just let me know if I can help you in placing an order or answering any questions you may have about Stampin' Up! products!

In the meantime, thanks so much for stopping by today and I do hope you'll come back soon for more ideas and inspiration!